Variable-speed gearing.



PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

A. PETELER. VARIABLE SPEED GEARING. APPLICATION HLBD 0013.28.1904.

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PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

A. PETELER. VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

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APPLICATION FILED 00T. 28, 1904.

PATENTED NOV. 14, 1905.

A. PETELER.

VARIABLE SPEED GEARING.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.28, 1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

` I. g'. A* l l I mlmlm` i I 1 "1 -uumlr., y I l I TINTTED STATES ADOLPHIETELER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

VARIABLE-SPEED GEARING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 14, 1905.

Application filed October 28,1904. Serial No. 230,347.

llo @ZZ whom it' may concern:

Be it known that I, ADoLrH PETELER, a citizen of the United States,residing' at St. Louis, Missouri. have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Variable-Speed Gearings, of which the following isa full,clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, inwhich Figure lis a transverse longitudinal sectional view through avariable-speed gearing constructed in accordance with myinvention. Fig.2 is a plan view of the driven shaft, the reversing-shaft, and thecooperating gears. Fig. 3 is a view, partly in elevation and partly insection, of the clutch and a reversing-pinion. Fig'. I is an end View ofthe gear-case, part of which is broken away to show the relativeposition of the reversing-gear in mesh with the gear on the drivenshaft. Fig. 5 is a plan view, partly inI section, of one of theclutches; and Fig. 6 is a plan view of the clutch used with thereversing mechanism, the side retaining-ring being broken away toillustrate one of the movable clutch elements.

This invention relates to variable-speed gearing which is. adapted to beapplied to a driving-shaft for varying the speed of any driven shaft;but it is particularly adapted to be employed in connection withautomobiles.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide means whereby thespeed of adriven shaft may be varied with respect to the speed of thedriving-shaft, which driving-shaft may be driven by any suitable'motor.

One of the principal objections to variablespeed gearings as'heretoforegenerally constructed and used has been that in order to change thespeed the various gears on the driving-shaft would have to be throwninto and out of mesh with complementary gears on the driven shaft, orvice versa. As the teeth came into mesh during the revolving' of thedriving-shaft the sudden jar resulting' therefrom not onlyseriouslyimpaired the machinery in time, but caused the teeth to chipand grind or wear off, so that the lives of the gears were materiallyshortened. With my invention I aim to overcome this objection bycausing' the complementary gears on the drive-shaft and driven shaft tobe constantly in mesh, the gears on one of the shafts on the other shaftare loose, so that by operating a suitable clutch fixed on the shaft onwhich are the loose gears said gears will be held immovable withrelation to the shaft, thereby imparting motion to the gears on theother shaft. In actual practice I prefer to make the loose gears on thedriving-shaft, while those on the driven shaft are fixed, and theinvention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings shows such aconstruction.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention, as illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, the reference-numeral 1 designates one half of agear-case, while the reference-numeral 2 designates the opposite half,the two sections 1 and 2l being secured together by fastening devices 3,which pass th rough openings in the flanges 4. Journaled in the gearcaseis a driving-shaft 5, which is hollow for a portion of its length andnear its respective ends is provided with fluid-exit openings,(designated by the numerals 6 and 7.) Surrounding' these openings arelianged rings 8 and 9, which are spaced apart,so as to permit iiuid fromthe hollow shaft 5 to pass into the chambers 10 and 1l *o besubsequently drawn olf, as will be presently explained. At suitableintervals on the shaft 5.1 arrange gears which are loose upon saidshaft, but fixed with relation to cooperating clutch members, whichclutch members act with fixed 'clutch members on the shaft 5, adapted tobe operated so as to hold the gear attached to the clutch rigid withrelation to the shaft 5. As the preferred construction of clutch isillustrated in Fig'. 5, and as the same clutch is used in each instancefor each speed,I will describe only one of them. By reference to Fig. 5it will be observed that the shaft 5 is provided withoppositely-arranged openings l2, and keyed to the shaft and surrounding'the openings 12 is a hub or casting 13. comprising one of the clutchmembers. This hub 13 is provided with pistoncylinders 14, arrangeddiametrically opposite each other and communicating with the openings12. In each cylinder 14 is a piston 15, having a packing-disk 16, ofleather or other suitable material, at one end thereof. The piston-headis provided with a'y slightly-concave recess 17. in which is one head ofa link 18, the opposite head of the link 18 resting in a socket 19,intermediate the. ends of thev elbow-lever 20. Between the socket 19 andthe bifurcated end 21 of the lever 2O is au arm or bracket 22, rigidwith the cylinder and constituting a fulcrum for the lever 20. The

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. at its elbow in bearings 29 on one of the arms 26. The end opposite tothe end 27 of the lever 28 is provided with trunnions 30, which arejournaled in bearings 31 in the segment 32, provided with afriction-facing 33, of leather or other suitable material. The oppositeend of the segment 32 is connected to one of the arms 26 by a link 34.The casting 13, the oppositely-arranged cylinders 14, their pistons 15,together with their appurtenances, including the oppositely-arrangedarms 26, are all non-rotatable with relation to the shaft. Thus theopenings in the cylinders will at all times register wlth the openings12 in the shaft 5. The two segments 32 constitute what might properly betermed an eX- pansible friction-ring, which engages the inner face ofthe peripherally-disposed flange 35 on the clutch-disk 36.

In the present case I have shown the variable-speed gearing as beingadapted to provide three speeds in one direction and one speed in areversed direction.

A designates the high-speed clutch; B, the intermediate-speed clutch; G,the low-speed clutch, and D the reversingspeed clutch. Each clutch isproperly spaced on the shaft 5, which shaft is provided with openings 12at the proper places to communicate with the cylinders of the pistons ofthe clutches. The high-speed clutch is fast with a large gear A', lthesecondary clutch with a smaller gear B', the low-speed clutch with asmaller gear C', and the reversing-clutch with a gear D' ofsubstantially the same size as the gear C on the clutch C. These gearsare connected to the clutch members 36 by fastening devices 37. It is tobe understood that the gears and the clutch members 36 are normallyloose upon the shaft 5 and that they will remain in this position unlessthe pistons in the cylinders-of the hub of the clutch are actuated toexpand the segments, so as to hold the gears non-rotatable with relationto the shaft 5. I prefer to do this by fluid-pressure, and the bestmedium now known to me is oil, on account of its non-compressiblequalities, although water 'or air may be employed, if desired. Byreference to Fig, 1 it will be noticed that a hollow or tubular shaft 38is slidably secured in the hollow shaft 5, and on one end of the shaft38 is a head 39, having packing-rings therein to engage the inner wallsof the hollow tube, so as `to prevent leakage. Intermediate the ends ofthe head 39 is a circumferential groove 40, at which point are openings41, adapted to communicate with the openings 12 in the shaft 5, so. asto supply the necessary iiuid to the piston-cylinders of the clutch. TheHuid may be introduced from asuitable pump or supply (not shown) intothe nipple 42 of the coupling 43, which is secured on the tubular shaft38 by stuffing-boxes 44 and 45, so as to prevent leakage. The enlargedchamber 46 in the coupling 43 and which communicates with the nipple 42also communicates with the interior of the tubular shaft 38 through anopening 47 in said shaft. This coupling 43 is non-rotatable on the shaft38; but the peculiar formation of the chamber 46 will permit the desiredpressure to be maintained in the tubular shaft 38 and in the cylindersof the particular clutch communicating with said shaft at all times. oftwo shaft members 48 and 49. The member 49 may drive the machinerydirect, or it may be provided with a gear or pulley and act as anintermediate shaft to drive the axle or any part to which motion is tobe communicated. The shaft 49 is provided with an elongated recess ortubular portion 50 to receive the constricted end 51 of the shaft member48. Fast on the shaft member 48 is a disk 52, provided with a pluralityof peripheral teeth 53, the whole comprising a gear. In the face of thisgear is a recess 54 to receive a cam-disk 55 on the end of the shaftmember 49. This cam-disk 55 is provided with a plurality of cam-faces56, forming a wedge-shaped space between the cam-surfaces 56 and theinner face 57 of the iange of the disk 52, which disk 52 alsoconstitutes a clutch member. The cam-disk 55 is also provided withshoulders 58, against each of which abuts one end of a coil-spring 59,the other end abutting against a movable clutch'element 60, movable inthe wedge-shaped space referred to above. These clutch elements are heldin place by the side facing-ring 61. On the shaft 49 is a gear 62, whichis constantly in mesh with the gear A.

63 designates a gear fast on the shaft member 48 and constantly in meshwith the gear C. 64 designates a reversing-shaft carrying the gear 65,constantly in mesh with the pinion D. This shaft is journaled in theends of the gear-casing. Near the end opposite to the end on .which isthe gear 65 is a gear 66, which is constantly in mesh with the gear 62.

Now if the tubular slide 38 is moved so as to cause the ports 40 to beopposite the ports of the cylinders in the clutch member C, so that thefluid can be introduced under pressure into the cylinders, the pistonsin the cylinders will be moved in opposite directions, so as to causethe clutch-segments to contact with the iiange of the clutch member C tohold it rigid. Inasmuch as the gear C' is fast with the clutch member Cand is constantly in mesh with the gear 63, (it being understood thatthe shaft 5 is rotating) the gear 63 will The driven shaft consists- IOObe rotated, which in turn will impart rotation to the shaft member 48,carrying with it the gear-disk 52, which comprises the clutch member.and will cause the clutch element 6() to bind between the flange of thedisk 52 and the cam-faces 56 of the clutch-disk 55, so as to impartmotion to the shaft member 49, whereby it will be driven at a relativelylow speed. Now if this tubular slide 38 is moved so that the ports 40will be opposite the ports 12 in the shaft 5, which communicate with thecylinders of' the clutch B, the clutch B will be caused to operate so asto hold the gear B' fast to the shaft 5 and impart motion to the gear ofwhich the disk 52 constitutes a part, causing the clutch-disk 55 to bindthereagainst and impart a rotary motion to the shaft member 49 at thenext highest speed, it being understood that the clutch C will be thrownout. lf the slide is moved to cause the ports 40 therein to permit theintroduction of the fluid in the cylinders of the clutch A, this clutchwill be caused to be held non-rotatable with relation to the shaft 5,but will rotate with it and impart a rotary motion to the gear A',thereby imparting motion to the gear 62 and driving the shaft 49 direct.The remaining gears, however, will not be rotated, because the rotationof the shaft 49 will cause the clutch members 6'0 to be received in thelarger portion of the wedge-,shaped space between the clutch-disks 52and 55, and the gear will permit the maximum efficiency to be obtainedfrom the motive power. 1f it'is desired to reverse the direction ofrotation of the shaft 49, this can be done by moving the slide to aposition whereby the ports 40 will permit the entrance of the fluidthrough the tubular slide 38 into the ports 12 opposite th'e cylindersof the clutch D. Thus the clutch D will be held rigid with relation tothe shaft; but in rotating with the shaft motion will be imparted to thegear D', communicating motion to the gear 65, and through the shaft 64the gear 66 will be caused to rotate, which gear being in mesh with thegear 62 will im- -parta rotary movement to the shaft 49 opposite to themovement of rotation which would be imparted to the shaft 49 in theevent that any of the clutches A, B, or C were thrown in operation. 'Itis desirable that the ports 12 be arranged in such positions that theywill readily discharge into the ports 12 of the shaft 5 opposite any ofthe clutch-cylinders, and it is contemplated to arrange the slide-tube38 so that it will rotate with the shaft 5. This may be accomplished byproviding a longitudinal groove 67 in the slide 38 for engagement by apin 68, passing through the shaft 5. Attention is called to the factthat as soon as the slide is moved away from any of the clutchcylindersthe springs r24 will cause the pistons to recede within the cylindersand force the luid from the cylinders into the hollow shaft 5. Provisionis made for permitting the eX- haustion of the fluid from this shaft 5through the ports 6 and 7 in the respective ends of the shafts into thechambers 10 or 1l, on which are the nipples 69, to which nipples may beattached a suitable tube (not shown) to convey the fluid back to thepump. The slide 38 may be controlled from a convenient point on thevehicle where the gearing is employed in connection with motor-vehicles;but as any lever mechanism may be employed for this purpose it is notdeemed necessary to illustrate it in this application.

By reference to Figs. 2 and 8 it will be observed that when thehigh-speed clutch is operating the reversing-shaft 64, together with itsgear 65, does not rotate. This is made possible by arranging a slidingclutch member 71 on the shaft 64 to be operated by a lever 72 from thefront of the machine, said clutch member 71 having clutch projections 73 at one end, which are adapted to engage the clutch member 74, havingcorresponding recesses for the projection 73and carried by the gear 66.When it is desired to reverse the direction of rotation of the shaftmember 49, this clutch member 71 must be thrown into engagement with theclutch member 74, which clutch member, together with its gear 66, isnormally loose on the shaft 64, while the clutch member 71 is keyed onthe shaft 64 by the key 75; but it is permitted to slide. It will thusbe apparent that the speed of a motor-vehicle or any shaft driven by thedriving-shaft or the efciency of the motor to which the shaft 5 isattached will not be impaired by the clutches B, C, and D and theircorresponding gears when the clutch A is doing its work. Thuspractically the same efliciency may be obtained from the motor as couldbe obtained if these clutches and gears were eliminated. Anotheradvantage resulting from the construction above described is that theslide 38 being under perfect control the machine may be started andstopped without sudden jars and jolts, such as is generally present inthe types of machines utilizing the present constructions ofvariable-speed gearing. One of the very important objections overcome bythis construction is that as the teeth of all of the gears areconstantly in mesh with the gears on their clutches the teeth of thegears do not have to be thrown in mesh` by sliding between each otherwhile one of the gears is rotating, the objection to which is readilyapparent to any person skilled in the art, because, as is well known,this throwing of the gears into and ont of -mesh results in chipping thefaces and corners and grinding and "chewi-ng them down, so that newgears must almost constantly be substituted for those worn out. Anotherobject is that the clutch for the high speed can be instantly throwninto operation without going through thesuccessive steps of throwingfirst the lowspeed gears, then the intermediate-speed IOO vss

gears, and then the high speed, and this immediate operating of thehigh-speed clutch will in no wise impair the machinery.

In describing the above invention reference lhas generally been made toit as being' applied f to motor-vehicles; but I do not Wish to have itunderstood that I limit myself to its application thereto, as it isobvious that it may be employed in connection with other machines inwhich power is to be derived from a driving-shaft.

By reference to Fig. 5 it will beobserved that by the peculiarconstruction of the clutch whereby the segments 31 are caused to bindagainst the peripheral flange of the disk 34 an eiiicient clutch isprovided, because after the clutch-segments are moved against the liange35 of the clutch member 34 rotation of the hub will increase the bindingtendency of the clutch-segments owing to the peculiar construction ofthe toggle-levers, and this binding will be maintained until pressure isrelieved in the piston-cylinders.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a variable-speed gearing, the combination with a driving-shaft anda driven shaft, one of said shafts being hollow and having Huid-portstherein, castings on the hollow shaft having piston-cylinders incommunication with the hollow shaft through the liuidports, pistons insaid c5 linders, clutch members loose on the hollow shaft and gearscarried thereby, gears on the other shaft and in mesh with the gears onthe clutch members, and means for permitting Huid to enter the cylindersin one of the clutch members to the exclusion of the others to hold thegear-carrying clutch member non-rotatable with relation to the shaft;substantially as described.

2. A variable-speed gearing, comprising a hollow shaft, a plurality ofgear-carrying clutch members loosely mounted thereon, a clutch memberfor each of the first-named clutch members fixed on said hollow shaftand piston-cylinders in communicationtherewith, pistons working in saidcylinders, means controlled by said pistons for frictional engagementwith the loose clutch members, and fluidcontrolling means for actuatingsaid pistons to bind the two clutch members together; substantially asdescribed.

3. A variable-speed gearing, comprising a hollow shaft, a plurality ofgear-carrying clutch members loosely mounted thereon, a clutch .memberfor each of the first-named clutch members fixed on said hollow shaftand piston-cylinders in communication therewith, pistons working in saidcylinders, means controlled by said pistons for frictional engagementwith the loose clutch members, and sliding Huid-controlling means foractuating said pistons to bind the two clutch members together;substantially as described.

4E. A variable-speed gearing, comprising a hollow shaft, a plurality ofgear-carrying clutch members loosely mounted thereon, a clutch memberfor each of the first-named clutch members fixed on said hollow shaftand piston-cylinders in communication therewith, pistons working in saidcylinders, means controlled by said pistons for frictional engagementwith the loose clutch members, and sliding fluid-controlling meanscomprising a hollow tube for actuating said pistons to bind the twoclutch members together; substantially as described.

5. A variable-speed gearing, comprising a hollow shaft, a plurality ofgear-carrying clutch members loosely mounted thereon, a clutch memberfor each of the first-named clutch members fixed on said hollow shaftand piston-cylinders in communication therewith, pistons working in saidcylinders, means controlled by said pistons for frictional engagementwith the loose clutch members` Sliding fluid-controlling meanscomprising a hollow tube having a head at one end and binding againstthe inner walls of the hollow shaft, said tube having outlet-portsadapted to register with the ports in the' shaft, and .a grooveintermediate the ends of the head and surrounding the outlet-ports insaid tube; substantially as described.

6. A variable-speed gearing, comprising a tubular driving-shaft, adriven shaft, fluidcontrolled clutches on the hollow drivingshaft, agear carried by each clutch, gears on the driven shaft and in mesh withthe gears on the clutches, a third shaft, a gear carried therebyconstantly in mesh with.. one of the gears on the drive-shaft, andanother gear constantly in mesh with a gear on the driven shaft;substantially as described.

7. A variable-speed gearing, comprising a tubular driving-shaft, adriven shaft, fluidcontrolled clutches on the hollow drivingshaft, agear carried by each clutch, gears on the driven shaft and in mesh withthe gears on the clutches, a third shaft, a gear carried therebyconstantly in mesh with one of the gears on the driveshaft,another gearconstantly vin mesh with a gear on the driven shaft, the last-named gearbeing loose on the third shaft, and a clutch for binding the lastnamedgear to the third shaft; substantially as described.

8. In a variable-speed gearing, the combination with a driving-shaft anda driven shaft comprising two members alining with each other, clutchmembers on the respective driving-shaft members, one of said clutchmembers comprising a disk having a peripheral flange with teeth, theother clutch member having a plurality of cam-faces, interposed betweenwhich and the flange on the opposite clutch member are friction devices,a clutch on the driving-shaft, a gear carried thereby and constantly. inmesh with the gear-tooth IOO ISO

clutch member, said clutch and the gear carried thereby being normallyloose on the driving-shaft, and means for binding the clutch and itsgear to the shaft; substantially as described.

9. In a variable-speed gearing, the combination with a driving-shafthaving a central, longitudinal, hollow portion with exit-ports atsuitable points along its length, Huid-actuated clutches carried by saiddriving-shaft, gears carried by the clutches for engagement with gearson a driven shaft, a sliding tube in the bore of the driving-shaft androtatable with the driving-shaft. said sliding tube being connected to asuitable fluid-supply, and said tube having exit-ports adapted to supplyfluidl from the tube through the ports of the driven shaft into theclutch members; substantially as described.

l0. In a variable-speed gearing, the combination with a driving-shafthaving a central longitudinal hollow portion with exit-ports at suitablepoints along its length, iiuid-actuated clutches carried by saiddriving-shaft and gears carried by the clutches for engagement withgears on a driven shaft, a sliding tube in the bore of the driving-shaftand connected to a suitable Huid-supply, said tube having exit-portsadapted to supply fluid' from the tube through the ports of the drivenshaft into the clutch members, and drain-cups separate from thedriving-shaft but at all times lcommunicating therewith; substantiallyas described. f

l1. In a variable-speed gearing, the combination with a hollow shaft, adriven shaft comprising two members, a clutch member on each thereof andcoperating with a clutch member on the opposite shaft member, gearsrigid with the hollow shaft, teeth on one of the clutch members` loosegearson the drivingshaft each of which meshes lwith one of the gears onthe driven shaft, clutches for holding the gears on the driving-shaftimmovable with relation thereto, means for actuatingsaid clutches, aclutch on saiddriving-shaft, a gear carried thereby, a third shaft, afixed gear on the third shaft and constantly in mesh with the gear onthe last-named clutch, a loose gear on the third shaft and constantly inmesh with one 0f the gears on the driven shaft, and means for holdingthe loose gear on the third shaftl fixed thereto; substantially asdescribed.

l2. In avariable-speed gearing, the combination with a gearing havingclutches coperating therewith, a fluid-controlling device cooperatingwith the gearing to actuate parts ofthe clutches thereof, said devicebeing rotatable with one of the shafts, a coupling' connected to saiddevice and having an enlarged recess surrounding an opening in saiddevice; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature,in the presence oftwo witnesses,this 24th day of October, 1904.

AD OLPH PETELER.

Witnesses:

B. F. FUNK, GEORGE BAKEWELL.

